Jeff Bannister's successor knows all about that as a player, too. Woodward played the game for a dozen years. He inherits a team minus Hall of Fame hopeful Adrian Beltre, who recently retired. Beltre's replacement, Patrick Wisdom, was acquired in the off-season from St. Louis.

I asked Wisdom if this is a situation he's cherishing because of the opportunity to follow a legend like Beltre.

"Definitely, the legacy he left behind is something to learn from and to aspire as well," he said.

A new third baseman, a new manager and a new stadium to look forward to. This is the final season in their ballpark, which opened in 1994. A retractable roof stadium adjacent to the Rangers' current home will open in 2020.

So, it's one last ride in the current sweatbox. Globe Life Park has a reputation of delivering miserable experiences for players due to the stifling Texas heat during games in July, August and in September.

"What did we have last year? Seven games in a row at 102 (degrees), that's at first pitch," said Chavez. "Take that away at 72 degrees in a dome, we're looking pretty nice."